Rain. Endless drops rolled down the window, each one tracing a path like tiny memories trying to slip away. Thunder echoed through the room—distant, yet sharp. Sirens wailed in the distance. Not for her. Not for anyone, really. Just noise. Cold, uncaring noise.
And inside the room, sealed off from all of it, lay a little girl.
b-b-BWOOOM!
"…Wha…?"
Her eyes fluttered open. The night light hummed faintly above, flickering against the ceiling and painting everything in soft amber. She groaned, rubbing at her face with sluggish hands—cloth wrapped around them, now soaked with tears that hadn't asked permission.
"Where's Mom…? And Dad…?"
She waited.
Silence.
Even the shadows didn't bother answering.
She tried to remember their faces. But the thoughts were smeared like wet ink, each one slipping through her fingers before it could take shape. A mess too heavy for her small head to untangle.
Another flash painted the room white. The thunder that followed hit like a slap—KRACKOOM—and her chest jumped at the sound. She winced, clutching her wrist with both hands, fingers brushing over something beneath the wraps.
Something hard.
Something…wrong.
She pulled at the bandaging with a child's stubborn curiosity and felt it give slightly. A jagged shape peeked through—blackish brown, like scorched glass. It pulsed faintly. Tiny vessels shimmered inside.
She tapped it.
The pain hit like lightning. Sharp, deep, fast.
"Ah—!"
She yelped, flinching away, flicking her wrist as if the pain could be shaken off. It lingered. Faint but alive.
Still half-lost in sleep, she curled her legs in closer. And yet… the sound of rain, muffled and steady, wrapped around her like a too-thin blanket. The sirens were growing louder now, closer. She barely had time to form another thought before—
BANG!
The door slammed open.
She jolted upright, feathers atop her head—short, black tinged with dark wheat—stiffening in an instant.
"AN!"
A woman rushed in, panic heavy in her voice, followed by a man who stormed straight to her side. He ruffled her messy, bluish-purple hair with a rushed, trembling hand.
"We gotta go okay? Now."
The woman—white hair slightly damp from the rain—knelt and tried to smile, though the strain around her eyes gave it away. She wiped the tears from An's cheeks, her fingers cold.
"Where now?" An whispered, blinking at her with wide, gray eyes tinged with red and violet.
The man yanked open the small closet, pulling out a stuffed bag and cursing under his breath. "Put some clothes on her, Valentina! Pero rápido! We ain't got time 'fore they come knockin'!"
The little girl shivered as Valentina gently pulled her dark blue hair through the collar of the hoodie, fingers brushing the damp strands with practiced care. The cap came next—stitched for her kind—its worn brim curved just enough to hide her eyes if she tilted her head. Two slits at the top allowed her short feathers, black with hints of dark wheat, to poke through freely.
"Rafa, ya! Cuánto tiempo queda?!" Valentina called out, tension biting through her voice.
She stood up and ducked down again, reaching beneath the bed and dragging out a medium-sized black box. The hinges creaked faintly. Behind her, An had wandered to the window, her small frame silhouetted by the flickering city lights outside. She pressed a hand against the cold glass and watched the red and blue flash through the rain, dancing like ghosts over wet pavement.
"Ten minutes!" Rafa's voice snapped from across the room. "They got some stupid excuse. Tch… We left that city weeks ago. Still followin' us like rats."
He crouched beside the opened box, checking the tight packing inside. Valentina knelt beside him, inspecting what looked like something she didn't recognized . Neither of them noticed An turning in circles as Rafa stood and scooped her up with one arm, lifting her onto his shoulders.
Her small hands clutched at his head for balance. But what caught her wide eyes wasn't the rush or the noise—it was the ring.
The slow-moving loop of black liquid that revolved around Rafa's head like a lazy halo, shifting and sliding in rhythm.
"…Mostema?" She asked softly, tilting her head as she reached for it. The strange ring evaded her grasp, dispersing and reforming just beyond her fingertips.
Rafa glanced at her, then at the window.
"No."
The word was short.
Valentina handed him something—An didn't see what—and Rafa stepped forward, pulling the curtains shut with a single motion. The lights outside faded into dull shadows.
"Mostema have halos above their heads," He said, "and so-called wings made of light."
He nodded toward Valentina, who was now standing again. A similar ring of black liquid rotated slowly around her head as well—though hers seemed calmer, almost still.
"More like 'around' her head," he added with a dry huff. "But you, little An…" He adjusted her weight on his shoulders and lifted one hand to ruffle her already-mussed hair. "…You're a Liberi. Birds are free okay? Don't ever forget that."
An rested her cheek against his head, her breath soft against his hair. Her eyes—gray with threads of violet and red—stayed locked on the dark curtain, as if trying to see through it.
Valentina shut the black box, pulling the other bags closer before looking up with a gentle, coaxing smile. "Can you help us again, An?"
The little girl pouted, deliberately looking away, annoyance masking the tear-streaked face she'd worn moments earlier. "But it's tiring..."
Rafa shifted slightly, adjusting An's weight on his shoulders, careful not to disturb her balance. "We'll give you a cookie afterward, okay?"
An hummed softly, considering this offer seriously. Her gaze drifted back to the bags packed tightly around them. Still resting her cheek against Rafa's head, she finally nodded, quiet agreement softening her stubborn expression.
Relief eased Valentina's tense features as she carefully drew a pistol from behind her back, her movements precise, calm. Meanwhile, An stretched one tiny palm forward, brow furrowing as she focused. Slowly, gently, the bags began to rise into the air, floating as if weightless.
She yawned quietly, eyes drooping shut as her tiny fingers curled back around Rafa's head. "I'll… eat… it… l... hmm…"
Her breathing evened, and she drifted into a deep, exhausted sleep. Rafa opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden voice, harsh and commanding, burst through the storm outside, drowning the room in sharp urgency. Rain battered against the window in frantic taps, interspersed with distant thunder.
Lights flashed relentlessly, seeping through every crack in the curtains.
"Somos el Control Central de Fiesta. Tenemos el edificio rodeado! Salgan con los manos arriba."
"Fuck me" Rafa hissed, glancing at Valentina just as he felt An slide down his back, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck, her body dangling comfortably as her head rested securely on his shoulder.
Valentina stared in bewilderment, her eyes wide with disbelief. "How does she even do it? I mean, I get she has telekinesis, but…" She let out a weary sigh, rubbing her face as if she could erase their exhaustion with sheer force of will.
The voice crackled over the rain once more, insistent, but they chose to ignore it, their silence deliberate.
Rafa wasted no more time, quickly unclipping a small device from his belt—several rectangles clicked neatly together. He took a deep breath, holding steady.
It chimed twice, and instantly, a thin barrier of shifting colors shimmered into existence, enveloping them and their hovering belongings. The brief quiet shattered violently as the window shattered inward.
They ducked instinctively, exchanging incredulous glances.
"Who the hell shoots at a building?!" Rafa huffed under his breath, shielding An's sleeping form. "Full of people, no less…"
They didn't wait.
The second the shots rang out, they were already moving—bolting toward the door with urgency coiled in every step.
"Any ideas?!" Valentina snapped as they rushed through the compact living room, the open kitchen throwing shadows across the floor.
"Maybe." Rafa muttered, already turning.
A ball of fire formed in the air ahead of him, flickering like a miniature sun. He raised his ΜΙСΛ—its sleek, instrument-like body humming softly as he aimed toward the center of An's room.
The fireball followed the pointer's path, then launched with a controlled hiss just before he slammed the door shut—leaving it cracked open just enough to let the heat and smoke spill out.
"Pull the fire alarm," He said quickly. "We'll use the chaos to cover our exit."
Valentina gave a tight nod and moved. They jogged toward the front door, the one leading to the hallway. Rafa grabbed the handle, knuckles tight. Valentina hugged the frame beside him, steadying her breathing.
They looked at each other.
They nodded.
On Rafa's back, An's soft snores filled the room for a brief, fragile second.
Then Rafa yanked the door open with force, and Valentina moved fluidly—her free hand flicking forward as a translucent shimmer rippled into the air. A screen—thin, shifting colors, slightly curved—manifested around Valentina, humming faintly as it locked into place.
The same kind Rafa deployed earlier.
Valentina kept her pistol tight to her chest, close to the body, barrel angled down as she pressed further into the doorframe for cover. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small tactical mirror, rotating it out with practiced ease.
She tilted it past the edge of the frame, scanning the right side of the hallway first—the direction her back would be exposed to.
The tension was quiet but suffocating, each second dragging.
She didn't speak. Just slipped the mirror back into her jacket and switched the safety off her pistol.
Her fingers flexed slightly.
Valentina leaned out for one last glance, sweat trailing slowly down her cheek, her breath caught tight in her chest. But the sudden hum of something mechanical—something hovering—spilled from inside their apartment.
"Mierda!" She hissed, urgency tightening her muscles as she surged forward without hesitation, bursting into the hallway.
Rafa was close behind, one arm holding An securely while the other shot out, yanking down another fire alarm as they ran past. The shrill blare echoed loudly off bare walls, red lights pulsing in chaotic rhythm.
"It won't do much!" Valentina yelled, barely audible over the alarms, each breath short and strained. "But it's better than nothing!"
She veered sharply, feet skidding slightly as they reached the stairwell. Rafa followed, quickly realizing their direction.
"No point in going down—" He started, voice clipped by exertion. "They'll have the exits on lockdown!"
"We're headed to the roof," Valentina shot back immediately, her voice echoing harshly off the concrete walls. "we'll use the conditioning units as cover!"
Rafa nearly stumbled, disbelief lacing his strained voice. "That has to be la idea más estúpida I've ever heard! It won't work!"
Valentina scoffed sharply, not even slowing her pace. "Got a better idea, dumbass?!" She glanced back, sweat-streaked and eyes blazing. "No? Then shut up and follow me, pendejo!"
Rafa growled under his breath, cursing vividly, but didn't argue. He tightened his grip on An even with the awkward angle, her sleepy breathing warm against the back of his neck, and quickened his steps, following Valentina's determined strides upward into the stairwell.
"Why's it so hard?!" Rafa snapped, his voice louder than he intended, bouncing off the concrete walls. "We just started to settle down in this city!"
Every step burned. The stairs felt endless—except for An, still clinging to him, fast asleep like none of this chaos even touched her.
With every stomp upward, Rafa's doubts clawed deeper into him. Why the hell did I agree to this?"
Is it too late to back out, Tina?!"
He nearly tripped—his foot catching the edge of a step as he glanced sideways, balance wobbling until he slammed a palm into the wall.
"Yes, you fool!" Valentina shot back, panting through each word as they reached the top. She doubled over, hands on her knees, dragging in breath. "Unlike you… I'd like to live, thank you!"
She didn't wait for a retort. Her hand found the rooftop door handle, fingers tightening around it as she paused—her voice quieter this time.
"We can't go back. We made a vow, remember?" She turned to look at him, eyes a mix of frustration and fear. "And I'd rather die… than face the girl's mom! The dad's less terrifying, but still!"
Without warning, she let go of the handle and walked up to him, grabbing him by the collar. He reflexively stepped back, twisting to keep An from knocking into the railing.
"All we have to do is take care of the girl," She said, grip tight. "Then we're free. We get to walk away from this place. Live in peace."
Her voice softened. She released his collar, palms cupping his cheeks as her eyes lingered—sad, tired, but still holding on.
"We're a young species, Rafa… barely a ripple compared to the dozens of others out there. And yet—only a few of us get to be more than fiends."
Rafa let out a long breath, his head lowering with it. His body sagged forward as he leaned into her, resting his forehead against her shoulder.
"Even if we take care of An… what about us?" He murmured. "Who's gonna support us after? What if they find out what we really are?"
His arms shifted slightly to keep An steady. "Tengo miedo de perderte, Tina… you're all I have."
But the city didn't care.
Its skyline blinked in cold indifference, bathed in red and blue flashes that washed across rooftops and poured into alleys like blood down a drain. Rain drummed endlessly, a soundless roar against everything they carried, everything they were.
Then—WHRRRMMM—a low hum cut through the downpour.
A sudden whoosh of displaced air and the crackle of thrusters screamed across the rooftop. Rafa and Valentina froze. Their eyes met—sharp, alert—and they cursed in unison in their native tongue.
"Shit!... I didn't want to fight tonight—not like this…" Valentina hissed as she stepped toward the rooftop door's narrow window. Water clung to the glass like nerves on skin. Through it, she saw the first silhouettes drop from the vehicle.
Rain kept falling. Kept ignoring them.
She clenched her fists. Her brain scrambled to count.
One… three… seven… what the fuck…
Then something small detached from the aircraft—a box, too obscured to tell its size—dropped and landed with a muted clack.
A cold shiver trailed down her spine.
"I think we're fucked, Rafa…"
She turned back toward him, panic threading the edges of her voice. An stirred on his back.
Rafa smirked grimly, but his mouth twitched. "She's gonna wake up…"
"I'm awake... uncle..." came the soft voice behind him. Rafa stiffened like a statue as his heart bled.
An rubbed her teary eyes against his collar, her tiny voice muffled but unmistakably present. She blinked as her vision adjusted to the harsh light filtering in from the door's glass.
Then she leaned up, one hand tightly gripping his shirt, the other pointing with uncertainty. "What are they? The people… they look like… like triangles stuck together?"
Valentina leaned over, peering again through the glass. Her eyes narrowed as two more figures disembarked—larger, sleeker, not human. She counted quickly.
Fifteen.
Her heart dropped.
"Fuck. Me." Her voice barely broke a whisper. "What do we do, Rafa?!"
The aircraft peeled away above them, vanishing into the night like a satisfied courier. All it took was a wave from one of the figures—and now they were on foot, closing in.
"We got Idols on our asses," She muttered, voice tight, angry. "Vita Synthetica."
An yawned, blinking slowly as her head tilted. "What's… that?" she asked, voice soft, curious.
Valentina didn't look at her—she was too focused on the enemy—but her reply came sharp, bitter.
"People who moved their minds—memories, consequences, identity—into a fake body," she said, every word heavier than the last. "Willingly or not."
Her grip on the pistol tightened. its grip creaked under her fingers.
An blinked again. "Why?"
Valentina didn't answer at first. Her gaze remained locked on the figures outside, her breath steady but tight. Finally, she glanced briefly at Rafa and An, her voice low and strained.
"I don't know."
She closed her eyes, gathering resolve, then snapped them open—sharp, focused, and ready. Her palm pressed flat against the cold metal of the door, near the hinges, fingers splayed firmly.
"Ready, Rafa?"
Her game face was on, every muscle coiled tight.
"Cover your ears—now!" She barked without hesitation.
An barely had time to register the warning before Rafa swiftly knelt, sliding the little girl gently down to mirror his stance. They both squeezed their eyes shut, palms pressed tight against their ears—
WHUUMPH!
In a heartbeat, the door vanished, blown violently outward, hinges tearing from their sockets. A deafening rush of rain, footsteps, and shouting filled the air.
Valentina cursed softly—the door missed its intended target as the figure swiftly dodged aside at the last second.
An opened her eyes slowly, curiosity pushing her upright, but immediately shrank back behind Rafa as rapid gunfire erupted. Bullets screamed against Valentina's shimmering screen, each impact hammering like thunderclaps in An's ears, forcing her to duck lower and tremble.
Golden-brown beams struck the screen relentlessly—the unmistakable sound of drivers in use—each hit began to glow hot red, straining the screen's integrity.
Before they could draw breath, the two Idols surged forward, their forms sleek and dangerous in the rain.
One wielded a nagamaki—a blade whose grip alone made up half its length, the metal glinting coldly in the streetlights. The other held a ΜΙСΛ—pistol shaped, potential thrumming through its chassis.
Rafa stood up, raising his own ΜΙСΛ, its frame chiming twice. A surge of invisible heat rippled outward, rushing toward their attackers.
Steam erupted, thick and choking as the sudden heat wave crashed into the relentless downpour. Visibility dropped sharply—figures dissolving into nothing but blurred silhouettes and chaotic shapes, the rooftop was quickly swallowed by a heavy, humid fog.
But it did little to deter the two Idols.
Valentina took a step back, leveling her open palm toward the nearest one. Her breath hitched as she raised two fingers and sharply pointed them down.
The moment the first Idol's head crossed the doorframe—it moved.
The metal railing twisted violently. With a brutal shriek, the warped segments launched forward, aiming straight for its chest.
SKREEEECH!
The sound of scraping steel tore through the stairwell as the mass slammed against the Idol's right spaulder, screeching away in a deflected arc. The idol twisted just enough to avoid a clean impalement—armor dented, with sparks spraying.
But it didn't stop.
Rafa returned just as the second closed in, having tucked An away behind useless cover. His eyes narrowed with zero hesitation.
He lunged.
Closing the distance in two long strides, he pivoted mid-step—channeling his weight through his hip and legs—and struck with an open palm, aiming dead-center at the where its jaw would be.
WHUD!
It caught his wrist.
Rafa grimaced, caught mid-motion. Pain lanced through his forearm—but he didn't pull back.
Instead, his lips curled into a defiant grin.
A shimmer of heat burst from his palm. The air rippled, moisture vaporizing on contact.
BOOFH!
Flame erupted point-blank—compressed into a fireball that detonated just inches from the Idol's face. The force sent its head snapping back as the blast rolled outward, steam screaming into the fog-choked rooftop.
The clash of heat, metal, and rain lit the air in goldish red flashes.
The Idol staggered backward, releasing Rafa's wrist. Rafa instinctively ducked as something inside him screamed—Move!—just in time. A shard of clear ice zipped past, missing his head by mere inches. Time slowed to a crawl, yet only a heartbeat had passed.
The rest of the enemy group momentarily ceased fire, allowing a ragged breath—barely enough to steady frayed nerves. Rafa didn't waste it. His ΜΙСΛ snapped up instantly, aimed squarely at the second Idol.
He paused a fraction of a second, then adjusted his aim to its feet, predicting its dodge. The Idol reacted exactly as anticipated, sidestepping away from his line of fire—
A geometric formation blinked into existence beneath the Idol's next step—a stark white circle enclosed by a black square, rapidly filling with intricate shapes, then nine glowing points igniting simultaneously.
A pillar of flame exploded upwards, piercing the rain-filled darkness. The fiery column bathed the rooftop in stark amber glow, steam hissing angrily as the raindrops met the heat from the pillar, though it barely slowed the advancing group.
"Oi! Rafa—!" Valentina's voice broke through sharply, strained and frantic. "A little help here!"
Rafa spun, heart jolting. Valentina was pinned hard against the wall, her pistol uselessly hanging at her side as the Idol's grip tightened around her neck. She jerked her head to one side just as its free hand stabbed into the wall inches from her cheek, shattering concrete.
"HELP ME, YOU FOOL!" She cried, voice cracking in desperation.
Rafa surged forward, sprinting the short distance, lowering his shoulder to slam forcefully into the Idol's legs. The three crashed heavily into the doorframe. Valentina gasped and coughed violently, scrambling away just as another barrage erupted from the advancing forces.
Bullets and sequences hammered against Valentina's screen, hairline cracks forming rapidly, and red glowing spots along its surface as the trio struggled to find footing amidst the relentless assault.
Rafa raised his arm, pointing his ΜΙСΛ towards the ground. A second later, a new screen flickered into place just as the last one shattered apart with a crackling burst of light.
"We don't have enough time, Tina!" He barked, his voice strained under pressure.
Valentina turned toward him, her expression oddly soft amid the chaos. She reached out, gripping his hand with her fingers and a quiet smile. For a moment, Rafa stilled—his eyes locking with hers.
Then his head throbbed.
"Ghh—" He winced and rubbed the side of his temple, just in time to realize she'd smacked him.
"An!" Valentina shouted toward where An was supposed to be with her voice echoing.
From below, An's voice floated up like a bird startled from rest. "Yes?!"
They exchanged a brief glance—Rafa already prepping another layer of shielding as the pressure grew and the cracks on their current screen spread like ice veins.
"Whe—uhh… can you grab the small things? The ones that look like they're wrapped in plastic!?"
"'Kay!" came the muffled reply.
Moments later, a soft series of clack… clack… clack sounds echoed up the stairwell—then, without warning, several small pouches floated up through the gap in the railing like subway cars arriving in a line.
One. Three. Five in total.
Valentina had technically given the wrong description—but it was close enough. An had found the right gear.
Each pouch was a little larger than her hand, matte black with a semi-clear outer layer. Their weight was dense, solid—sealed with a layer of polymer and ammonite symbols across the surface.
Valentina caught one and flashed a grin. "Remember—pull the orange strap…"
She held it near her chest, ready to throw.
"…then chuck it like your life depends on it."
Valentina didn't hesitate.
She chucked the pouch just as another figure stepped into the doorway. It burst midair with a dull pop, exploding into a bloom of dense, brownish foam that splattered across the entryway, engulfing the target in an instant.
At the same time, Rafa hurled his farther out onto the rooftop. It detonated with a wet thump, spreading a wide spray of adhesive foam that latched onto several of the advancing enemies, locking down their limbs and weapons with efficiency.
The figure nearest the doorway thrashed violently, arms yanking against the fast-hardening substance. "Mierda!" He growled, muscles straining. "Get me ou—"
Rafa cut him off.
He raised his ΜΙСΛ and triggered another sequence—Ifrit. A geometric formation snapped into place beneath the trapped target, its edges glowing faintly even through the mist.
The man didn't even finish his breath before he was swallowed by searing light.
A wave of heat surged out like the blast of an industrial furnace.
For a second, the air shimmered. Steam hissed off every wet surface. Metal groaned nearby as the ground beneath the man glowed red.
Even with the distance, both Rafa and Valentina flinched. It burned to stand so close—like the rooftop itself had become an oven.
But more were still coming.
The Idol Rafa had knocked down earlier shoved the corpse of its fallen comrade aside like dead weight. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of Rafa again—its sudden movement a blur.
It wasn't.
It was Accel.
Rafa's instincts fired off before his mind even caught up. His ΜΙСΛ chimed twice as he triggered Ifrit again—this time anchoring the sequence to the stairwell wall beside the Idol.
The air warped.
A violent blast of heat erupted in a linear surge, catching the Idol mid-lunge and slamming it sideways like a launched battering ram.
CRACK—BOOM!
It hit the wall with enough force to carve a crater into the concrete.
Before it could recover, Rafa triggered Ifrit again. Then again.
The confined stairwell became a furnace. The walls groaned under the pressure as scorched paint blistered and the edges of the railing glowed orange from the heat.
Then—THUD—THUMP—THUD!—the Idol tumbled backward down the stairs.
A high-pitched scream followed, echoing up the shaft.
"An!" Valentina was already moving before the last echo faded. She sprinted down the stairs, gun raised. The Idol was trying to stand, steam pouring from its armor.
She didn't give it a chance.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!
Rounds hammered into its skullplate, snapping its head. As it reached for balance, Valentina stomped down, her shoes crashing into its back, forcing it flat.
With a clenched fist, she pulled.
The railing near her twisted violently, a lance of metal sheared free and impaled the Idol's head from the side with a wet, metallic crunch.
Silence followed—brief but suffocating.
Valentina turned to find An curled in the corner of the landing, her knees pulled to her chest, hands pressed tightly over her ears. Her eyes were squeezed shut. Cookie crumbs dotted the corners of her mouth.
Valentina swiftly scooped An up into her arms, holding the girl tightly against her chest. She had barely straightened when Rafa's urgent voice boomed from the stairwell above:
"Tina! Hurry the hell up—we've got some breathing room!"
She didn't hesitate, launching herself upward two steps at a time, the bags and black box trailing them obediently like cars on an invisible track. Her heart hammered in her chest, muscles burning with every step.
They burst onto the rooftop just in time to see Rafa locked in combat, his fists landing blows against another attacker silhouetted by the harsh floodlights. Without pause, he lunged forward, his ΜΙСΛ chimming twice.
Then Ifrit erupted again.
Heat surged outward, steam billowing thick and blinding across the rooftop. Visibility vanished in seconds, replaced by a dense, suffocating fog that twisted around them like a living thing.
The rain hammered down, heavier now—each drop sizzling against the lingering heat, turning the entire rooftop into a cauldron.
Valentina shielded An with her own body, eyes desperately scanning for Rafa in the chaos.
"RAFA!" She called through the roaring storm, tension clawing her throat as she moved forward carefully, her pistol raised and ready, lost in the shroud of steam and rain.